This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
In an anatomy, such as a human anatomy, various surgical procedures are often performed to repair or replace various portions thereof. For example, soft tissues of the body may tear or separate from bones due to trauma, overuse, surgical intervention, or disease. These soft tissues can be repaired and/or reattached using sutures or other fastening devices (e.g., screws, staples, or various types of suture anchors).
One means to repair a soft tissue, such as a labral tear, is to thread a suture through a selected portion of the soft tissue. The suture is retrieved from within the surgical site and the free ends of the suture may then be tied together to form a knot. In minimally invasive procedures (e.g., arthroscopic or laparoscopic procedures), however, the surgical site is not readily accessible and the surgeon's ability to thread the suture through the tissue manually is limited. Furthermore, the requisite instruments for retrieving the suture intracorporeally may require an enlarged surgical site.